ZooPhobia: Second Chances
by The wielder of the blue flames
Summary: Cade Daniels has just taken the job of Guidance Counsellor at Zoo-Phoenix Academy. Unfortunately, He wasn't informed that the Academy was for different kinds of animals and creatures! Now, he must settle in at his new home and help the students of Safe Haven while also trying to figure out the real reason he was sent here. Rating may change over time from T to M.
1. The Transfer

**Hey everybody! Wielder of the Blue Flames here with a new story! **

**Now recently, I have just gained a huge interest in a webcomic known as Zoophobia, created by VivzMind! She is really talented and it's great!**

**So I decided to make a fanfic off the comic only with my OC in the mix!**

**Disclaimer and I want everyone to read this clearly!**

**I OWN NOTHING BUT MY OC! ZOOPHOBIA BELONGS TO VIVZMIND ALONE!**

**Got it? Good.**

**On with the show!**

**The Transfer**

**...**

* * *

"Tell me Mr. Daniels. What's the last thing you remember seeing?"

Cade Daniels blinked when he finally noticed that his psychiatrist, Mrs. Winkler was speaking to him. He sighed as he leaned back onto the chair, his hands interlocked as he gazed at the ceiling. His brown eyes narrowed as he focused on the fan that was lazily spinning around.

"I'm not sure. It was so little and yet… so much more." He tried to describe. "It was so vivid this time around! It felt more… real than all the other ones." He sighed as he felt a headache hitting him. "It's… It's hard to explain, doc."

The elderly woman nodded as she wrote on the notepad she was currently holding. "It is understandable my dear. You needn't rush our last session over something that makes it uncomfortable for you to talk about." She reassured with a smile.

"I know doc, but…" He leaned back up as set his feet down on the floor, sitting upright. "It's been over two years now! I've tried forgetting about and I've taken many lessons from guidebooks, but it all leads to the same thing!" He exclaimed before he rubbed his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

"Not a problem young man." She smiled kindly. "We have made so much progress than we have before when we first started. You have become more relaxed and most of the weight before has been lifted off your shoulders." She summarised.

Cade nodded before he smiled sadly. "I think we could have made so much more if my parents didn't… y'know." He hinted as he leaned his head down. "I mean, I feel as though they have been added to my dreams as well! Yet, I can only see them for a few, brief seconds. I feel like I'm losing my mind!" He moaned and he shook his head.

"Rather ironic considering the events that lead you here." The Mrs. Winkler commented. "Forgive me for bringing up any unwanted memories, but I feel that is necessary to dive deeper to find out the cause of your problems." She explained.

Cade nodded. "Yeah. It was only a few minutes, yet it felt like a hellish eternity." He elaborated. "I'm just not sure If I should talk about doc. I get nightmares about it when I try to remember anything about it! And thanks to that, I've lost my last job because of them!" He groaned as he placed his head in his hands.

"So, your upcoming job assignment plays a part in this?" She queried as she wrote on the notepad.

Cade nodded once again. "A little bit. I remember seeing… an eye. Just one… staring at me… it was cold… and blue." He shivered as an image was placed in his mind. "I don't know who it was… but it felt so… familiar."

The elderly woman nodded. "Yes. Go on."

"It made me feel… alone… powerless… afraid." He continued. "All of my nightmare rolled into one… maybe it was just one to begin with." He guessed. "But then, just a few seconds later… I felt peace… a warm feeling surrounding me… I felt safe." He smiled and sighed. "I'm not sure if this makes any sense."

"In many cases for others, these dreams, while vague and lead to questions, are really the answers you are looking for." She wisely said. "Perhaps, your next assignment will lead you to whatever it is you are looking for."

Cade raised an eyebrow in thought. "You could be right doc. There have been a few times where I feel like I've finally found the solution to my problem and it was staring at me in the face the whole time!" He exclaimed. "The problem is the dream ends as soon as I find it and I forget it!"

The Psychiatrist smiled. "Well dear, it sounds to me like-"

"SWEET GOKU'S KAMEHAMEHA!" Cade suddenly shouted as he leapt upwards. looked at the clock, where Cade was looking at to. It was 12:02. "I've been talking so long, I forgot the time!" He stated as he grabbed his bag. "I'm really sorry to cut this session short Mrs. Winkler!"

"Its fine my dear. I'm a little upset that our last session had to end like this." She said sombrely before she smiled. "I do hope that you will find a way to resolve your problems. I only wish I could have done more."

"You've done a lot more than anyone else has tried to do for me doc." He reassured with a smile. "You never gave up on me and you've helped me through my problems for two years and for that, I can't thank you enough!"

"You can repay me by keeping calm and take care of yourself." She smiled. "Please tell Richard I said hi."

"I will, thanks!" Cade nodded before he rushed out the door and yelled back. "Wish me luck!" He ran out of the building and he put on his coat as the rain started to pour. "Taxi!" He called as he ran.

He couldn't be late for this!

This was his last chance!

* * *

**Mrs. Kaycey's office…**

'_**BZZT!'**_

"_**Mrs. Kaycey. The 12 o'clock is here… late."**_

Claire Kaycey didn't look up from the forum she was currently writing as she spoke to the intercom with a quiet voice. "Send him in." She requested as she continued to write. She heard the door open. "Come in."

"Um. Hello Mrs. Sorry I'm late." Cade apologized as he placed his long black, trench-coat on the hanger. "I had an appointment with my… 'Teacher' and I lost track of time." He covered up. He didn't want this woman to think he had just come out of the nut-house.

"It's quite…" Mrs. Kaycey started until she finally looked up to see the man she was supposed to talk too. He had spiky brown hair, brown eyes and a navy suit. He looked to be near 20 years old. "Alright." She finished awkwardly, noticing his suit was slightly wet and his shoes were soaking as well. She turned her head to see his coat had suffered the worst, as it was dripping.

"Sorry about that." Cade apologized as he walked to the desk. "It's raining pretty heavily out there." He explained with a nervous smile. He took a look at the woman and had to say, she seemed… strange. He couldn't place it, but something about her seemed… off.

Although, she seemed like an average person. She had long white hair, wore a suit with a green pendant hung around her necklace. But what seemed to throw Cade for a loop was her eyes. They were white, sure. But, oddly enough, they had a hint of yellow.

"Take a seat." She requested as she turned back to her forum before she sat straight and looked at him. "So, we can begin to discuss your placement in this program."

Cade nodded as he pulled the seat back and sat down. "Again, I'm really sorry about that." He apologized again, as he straightened up.

Mrs. Kaycey waved a hand slightly. "It's alright." She reassured as she continued to observe him.

Cade looked around the room as he settled down. It looked pretty bleak in here, not much to it.

Then why did he just get a shiver up his spine?

He noticed Mrs. Kaycey staring at him, an settling gaze boring into his soul. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Um. Have I met you befor-"

"Yes." She answered quickly, interrupting him, still keeping her eyes on him as they slightly narrowed.

Cade leaned back a little with a confused look. There was something definitely off about this woman.

Mrs. Kaycey suddenly broke her stare and picked up a clipboard. "Well, looking at your report and résumé, I wasn't able to find a suitable position for you. We don't seem to have a vacant job _here_ with need of your skills." She said with a hint of regret in her voice.

Cade felt his heart drop and his eyes widened. He just got here and already his hopes were crushed?! This couldn't be-!

'_Bing!'_

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he grinned.

"I'm afraid there is not much I could do for-." Mrs. Kaycey started before Cade suddenly leaned forward with a smile.

"Wait! You said, there were no jobs available _here, _right?" He asked with hope in his voice.

"Y-yes." She said, confused by the boys happy demeanour.

"Well, are there any available somewhere else? There has to be some vacant spots in other parts of your program, right?" He asked politely with a smile.

Mrs. Kaycey blinked at the teenager in front of her before she looked down at the clipboard and spotted one page. It had a circle around the job title, 'Guidance Counsellor.' "Well… Do you have a degree in counselling?" She asked, looking back to him."

Cade smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do! I took the classes so that I could help people with their problems." He explained. This was true, due to the fact that since he needed help to recover from his problems, he figured that he should help others that had personal problems of their own.

"How thoughtful of you. I would never have thought a teenage boy would be interested in counselling." She commented as she looked at the paper.

"I guess that's just one of life's many surprises." Cade let out a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Indeed." Mrs. Kaycey nodded as she read through the applicant. "There is a spot available. However, it is a transfer position. It would require relocation for you." She informed him. She was surprised by his next sentence.

"Even better!" He exclaimed with a grin! This was exactly what he was looking for! He leaned forward with determination in his eyes. "I'll take it Mrs! Whatever and wherever it is, I'll do it!" He declared with a confident smile.

Mrs. Kaycey was silent for a few seconds before she looked back down to the clipboard. "Very well then." She relented as she circled the boy's name with a pen. "A private jet will take you from this building on Thursday, 9:00. I suggest you pack all your things." She advised as she looked back to him.

"YES!" Cade shouted and he pumped his fist in the air. He then remembered that he was not alone and he nervously chuckled, gaining a bemused look from the woman. He bowed forward in respect and shook her hand. "Thank you Mrs. Kaycey. I truly appreciate this." He thanked.

Mrs. Kaycey nodded as she looked back at the clipboard. "Don't be late." She said flatly as the teen grabbed his coat.

"I won't ma'am." He reassured. "Thank you." He said as he grabbed his bag with a smile.

"You're quite welcome Mr. Daniels." She responded as she picked up an apple that was on her desk.

"Please ma'am, call me Cade." He reassured with a smile as he opened the door. "Thank you once again." He said for the last time as he left the office, hoping to get things ready for the move.

If he had stuck around a little longer outside of the office, he would have heard the mischievous, evil cackle from the woman. Mrs. Kaycey smiled as the apple's red skin melted away to reveal a gold one instead.

"No Mr. Cade…" She said as her appearance changed drastically from a smart to the point business woman to a… a… _monster._

"**Thank ****you!****" **Kaycee giggled with glee as she set her legs on the table, her hair growing and her teeth, sharper. Her mad laugh echoed throughout the room as she played with the golden apple.

This turn of events was sure to be entertaining!

* * *

**Cade's apartment…**

Cade opened the door to his apartment and flicked on the lights. The place brightened up to show how, in his opinion, cruddy it was. The place hadn't been doing so well since he lost his first job and with his parent's untimely deaths, he hadn't been focused and received many sleepless nights.

'_Maybe it wouldn't be so crappy if I didn't but all those comics and Anime. But then again, it would be pretty boring around here.' _He thought to himself as he walked to his room. _'Buying all those cosplay clothes didn't help either.' _

As soon as he opened the door, he felt something jump onto him and cling to his arms. He smiled when he recognized the blue, furry creature in his arms. "Hey Richard! How have you been boy!?" He greeted happily to the raccoon who purred excitedly in his arms.

Richard was his pet raccoon he had found in an alleyway, eating out of his garbage cans. Instead of getting rid of him, he decided to take care of him, taking him to the vet to make sure he was all checked out and well. What was strange for Cade, was that the raccoon's fur was nearly sky, blue instead of the usual grey. Not that it bothered him.

"Guess what I got buddy!?" He said to him with a smile before he took out a package from his bag and unfolded it to reveal… "Fish!" He laid the dead animal on to his friend's bowl and smiled when he munched away. "And good news boy! We're leaving this dump!" He informed him with a smile.

Richard looked at him as he chewed the fish to pieces.

"Yep! I just got a job and now we have to move! The woman didn't tell me where though, but I'm sure it's better than here!" He dismissed with a smile. "What do ya think boy?"

The raccoon leapt on to his lap and curled up, letting out happy noises.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's gonna be good!" Cade agreed with a smile. He stood up and looked out the window, showing the cloudy city. He was too happy to be brought down by the bad weather. "I promised that things were going to change for us buddy and I meant it!" He reminded his pet who continued to munch on the fish. "This time, for the better!"

And it would…

Just not the way he expected.

* * *

**One Hour Later…**

The rain had finally stopped, at least for a while, giving Cade enough time to take out the trash. He had just started to pack everything up quickly, but he still had a lot more things to before leaving. After all, it pays to be prepared.

"Whew! I'm starting to regret giving Richard those fish in the first place. Their bones stink!" He quipped as he reached the front entrance. He walked outside and to the nearest trash can, throwing it in with perfect ease. "Ha! Ten point landing!" He smirked and headed back.

"Not a bad throw my boy."

That was until he heard an elderly voice speak to him. He looked around in alarm and spotted a man sitting by an alleyway. He looked around cautiously before walking up to him. He noticed the man had a long grey beard and wore brown and yellow robes.

"You must work out if you are able to perform such a feat." He assumed with a smile.

Cade raised an eyebrow before he rubbed his head. "A little. I used to take self-defence classes a year ago. Cost me a bit though, so now I have to move." He said a little sombrely.

The man nodded in understanding as he pulled out a small cane. "I see. That's unfortunate to hear. I do hope you receive a more fulfilling life in your new home. I hear that it's nice place." He commented.

Cade raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Um. Actually, I don't know where it is. I wasn't told where or what it is." He admitted with a sheepish smile.

The old man narrowed his eyes before he chuckled. "I figured as much. It's more of a surprise transfer. You never know where or what it will be, but rest assured, it is a safe place. I've been there a few times myself." He continued with a smile.

"Really?" Cade asked, a little suspicious. This man seemed okay, but appearances can be deceiving. "Can you, maybe give me a heads up on what it is? Just so I'm prepared."

The man nodded. "Now that would be a wise thing to do, but I'm afraid I can't. Certain laws in that place have given me strict orders not to divulge too much information." He said with a hint of sadness before he smiled. "Besides, what would be the fun in telling you something that will make a good surprise for you?"

Cade was now extremely confused. This man was letting on more than he knew. "Ooooookay, thank you. Good talking to you. I've gotta get back to packing my stuff." He said quickly as he walked away.

"Very well. I must be on my way too." The elder agreed before he took something out of his pocket. "But first, take this." He called out and he threw it at him.

Cade reacted fast and grabbed it, to see it was a slip of paper. "What the?" He looked down at it to see it was strangely coloured and it had strange writing on it. "What is this thing?"

"It's something that you will need eventually. A return pass of sorts." The man explained cryptically. "You will need it when your home is in a spot of trouble. And I don't mean here."

"Wait, what?" Cade exclaimed as he looked up from the ticket to get some answers from the old coot.

He was gone.

Cade yelped in surprise when he saw no one standing in front of him anymore. Only the whistle of the wind and falling leaves greeted him. "Okay… that wasn't creepy or strange at all." He quipped as he walked back to his apartment. He looked down at the ticket and shrugged his shoulders as he placed it in his pocket.

"Might as well." He sighed as he headed back in.

He had some packing to do.

* * *

**The next day…**

Cade yawned as he carried Richard with him to airstrip. He now wore a black Trench-coat, brown gloves, a red hoodie, blue jeans and brown boots, which he called his usual 'outfit'. He watched the workers load all of his stuff in the jet.

Or rather the plane.

"That woman needs to get her facts straight when she informs people about this stuff." He quipped as Richard climbed on his shoulder, making a small nod.

"You the guy?"

The two turned to see a woman smoking a cigarette. She had black goggles above her head, she had green hair, a green neck bandana, black gloves, a green sleeveless shirt, a grey belt, green cargo pants and green high heel boots. And if you look closely, you would see a touch of green on her skin.

'_Yeesh, she must be a big fan of green.' _He joked within his mind. He nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that's me." He said as he looked at the plane. "I have to admit, I have never been on a private plane before." He looked at the woman as she took another puff from her cigarette. "Are you the pilot miss..?"

"Snake." She introduced simply.

"Should have figured." He mumbled to himself before he smiled. "Well then, I guess we're good to go huh? Is it okay if I take my friend on-board?" He asked as he pointed at Richard.

"Meh. Do what ya want." Snake shrugged. "Just make sure that he doesn't bother me when I'm flying." She said as the raccoon looked like he just narrowed his eyes at her.

"No prob, we'll be fine." He reassured as he walked to the plane. "So, shall we get moving?" He asked as the he walked in.

"Just be sure to save the jaw flappin' fer later hon." She ordered as she discarded the cigarette. "I don't wanna fly with a headache." She stepped on the cigarette, putting it out.

"Right. Sorry. Just excited going to a new place. New home y'know?" He rambled as he sat down in a seat with Richard curling up on one next to him.

"Sure." Snake dismissed as she walked in. "Just put a sock in it 'till we get there." She walked into cockpit and sat down. She placed her goggles over her eyes and started up the plane.

In just a few minutes, the plane took off, leaving home behind along with a lot of bad memories for Cade.

He smiled as he petted Richard's head as he looked out the window. His mind suddenly wandered back to the old man he had met the other night.

'_It's something that you will need eventually. A return pass of sorts." The man explained cryptically. "You will need it when your home is in a spot of trouble. And I don't mean here.'_

"What did that guy mean by that?" He mumbled to himself as his eyes narrowed. He was starting to get a little nervous by this whole thing. Was this really a good idea?

"I hope it is." He contemplated as he watched the setting sun. "After all, there's no turning back for us." He said to Richard, more than to himself.

He didn't notice the smirking fog cloud around the mountains.

* * *

**Three hours later…**

Cade tapped on the edge of his seat with his fingers as he listened to one of his favourite songs on his IPhone. He was a major _Dragon Ball Z_ fan so most of them were his favourites… except GT of course.

"_**Don't stop! Don't stop! We're in luck now"**_

"_**Don't stop! There's so much to be found"**_

"_**We can find paradise, all we have to do is go! Go!"**_

"_**Free your soul… Dragon Soul!"**_

"Akira Toriyama, you are a genius." He mumbled quietly to himself as he looked down to see Richard still sleeping, letting out small snores every once in a while. "Man Richard. You can sleep through just about anything, can you?" He asked jokingly as he turned to the window. He looked out to see the sun lowering itself over the vast forest.

"Geez, I didn't know the forest was this big. We've been flying over it for hours." He commented to himself as he stared with amazement.

"Yeah, why do ya think it's called the fuckin 'Oceanica' forest? Cause it's big." Snake responded rudely as she continued to fly without turning her head. "And what did I say about talking?"

Cade rolled his eyes at the woman's attitude. First, a strange old man, a lumbering cargo plane and a snappy pilot.

"What else could happen?" He asked himself as he folded his arms.

'**HONK!'**

"...Was that a bird?" He said to himself and he looked out the window to see…

A giant, four-eyed, blue-jay flying beside the plane!

…

…

"Huh. How about that." He muttered quietly to himself before he called to the woman. "Hey, Snake! Are giant birds common around here?!" He asked.

"What?" Snake questioned turning her head slightly.

"Giant birds? Size of a plane? Are they common around here?" He repeated as he looked out the window again.

"Huh? Oh, yeah whatever." She replied with a wave of her hand. "Now keep quiet, stay in your seat while I fly, 'kay?"

Cade shook his head in disbelief as he continued to stare at the bird. But not for long when it suddenly flew away from the plane and soon his line of sight.

"...Well that was… something." He muttered as he sat back down. He looked down to see Richard still asleep.

"You know what? I think you may have an idea lil'buddy." He smiled as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, closing his eyes, following his friend's example.

'_If this is the flight, then what is the actual place like?' _

Oh he had no idea.

* * *

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! The next one is coming along as we speak!**

**By the way, I'm starting think I'm in over my head by doing more stories! But meh, its no big deal.**

**Remember to read and review please!**

**This is Wielder of the Blue Flames, signing off!**


	2. Welcome to Safe Haven!

**New chapter here guys! Hope your ready!**

**Our duo finally arrives! Only, there new home isn't what they were expecting.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Welcome to Safe Haven!**

**...**

* * *

"_**...Fear…"**_

"_**What exactly is it?**_

"_**What is fear?"**_

"_**I know…."**_

"_**...It is order."**_

"_**It is to be followed."**_

"_**It is to be obeyed."**_

"_**It is to be respected."**_

"_**...I control it…"**_

"_**I can release it…"**_

"_**Join me…"**_

"_**Join your family…"**_

"_**Join everyone… in the plain…"**_

"_**Experience fear…"**_

"_**Experience it with us…"**_

"_**...refuse?"**_

"_**Then… VANISH YOU VERMIN INSECTS!"**_

"_**DIE!"**_

* * *

"GAH!"

Cade yelled as he jumped forward in his seat. He panted heavily as he held his chest, his eyes darting around the empty plane.

...Wait, empty!?

He looked around and noticed that the plane was indeed empty. While he knew it was just him, he looked around to notice that his pet was gone and Snake was nowhere to be seen.

"H-hello?" He called out as he stood up. He stumbled a bit, grabbing a seat for support before getting his footing back. "Snake? You here?" He walked to the control room to see no one seated. "What the hell?" He muttered to himself before he looked back the aisles. "I must have slept in." He assumed as he walked back to his seat. But before he sat down, he looked out the window to see the sunlight shining in.

"Geez I overslept. It's morning… a full day just passed… and I'm supposed to report to my new job today…"

…

…

…

"OH FIND ME IN THE ALPS!" He screamed as he ran to the door. "I'm late! And I just arrived!" He pulled down the lever to the door and slowly opened it as the sunlight blinded him for a few seconds. "CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRA-!"

"**SURPRISE!"**

"...Wha?"

Cade felt both his eyes widen and his jaw drop at what he was currently seeing right in front of him. He couldn't believe it, but there they were!

There, surrounding the entrance of the plane, were animals and monsters! Serious, honest-to-god monsters and animals, varying different sizes, colors and species. And they were all smiling at him, as if they were expecting him

Then, to his surprise, one creature approached him. It had red fur, a long body and a top hat. It also had red slitted eyes and its ears were slightly teared. "Welcome to the ZOO Cade Daniels!" It greeted loudly in his face, deafening him slightly. It spoke with an obvious male voice.

He then slung his arm around Cade's shoulder with a smile as if they were friends. "Well - HA! Of course it isn't really a zoo!" He laughed, not noticing the weirded out look on the humans face. "Sorta ironic that I just called it that really! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed again, getting an awkward laugh from Cade.

"Huh, yeah. Kind of weird." He smiled nervously. He may have been nervous outside, but he was having a major panic attack on the inside! He was soon greeted by another creature who, to Cade's shock, looked like an oviraptor!

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance my boy." He greeted as he shook his hand. He had a green colored body and wore a monocle

"Um. Thank you... sir?" He said awkwardly as he shook back with a slight smile. Suddenly, he felt his left arm being yanked back by someone else. "WHOA, HEY!" He yelped as he turned to see a female creature. She certainly seemed the most 'human' around here. Besides the woman near the cheetah.

"He looks a lil' shaky if ya' ask me." She stated as she inspected him. She kind of resembled a lizard and she wore some sort of cowgirls outfit, mostly colored brown and black. He skin was grey and she had a tail sticking out and yellow eyes with red irises. "Then again, he looks a little strong too."

"Miss, please!" Cade begged as he pulled his arm back, rubbing it. That girl had a strong grip. He suddenly felt something pat his back and he turned to see a red fox with black tips on both his ears and tail and he wore a necklace with a blue pendant attached.

"Give the boy some space Carrie." He scolded with a friendly smile to the woman. "He just got off the plane after all." He spoke with a charming voice and he turned to Cade. "Good to see you Mr. Daniels." He said with a slight bow.

"Oh, uh." Cade scratched his head before he gave a respectful bow. "Um, thank you sir. It's nice to meet you… to?" He spoke with uncertainty. He then suddenly faced a creature who had black hair, green skin, green clothes and a green tail. His eyes were green and yet they seemed slightly grey, indicating that he was a little blind.

"Good evening!... or morning?... Day!" He greeted awkwardly as he leaned on the fox's head with a huge smile. The poor guy couldn't tell what time of the day it was? Cade instantly felt sorry for him.

"Um. Thank you very much." He thanked with a nod as they surrounded him, giving him either curious or friendly looks. He backed away as he held his hands up. "Um. I don't mean to be rude, but can you all step back a bit? I'm… I'm a little confused right now." He sighed as he leaned a hand on the side of the plane.

Everyone gave him a curious look, but they politely did so as they gave the human some space. The all gave each other questioning looks as the human calmed down. He seemed like he didn't know what was happening.

But… he did, didn't he?

The cheetah, meanwhile narrowed his eyes at the boy. Something was wrong.

Cade panted as he rubbed his head. "Okay, calm down. Calm down, man. It's just a dream… isn't it?" He asked himself. He then turned to the plane and punched it with his right fist, shocking the creatures.

"YYAAAGGGHHHH!" He yelled in pain as he held his fist. "Okay. Still feel pain. Not a dream." He hissed as he rubbed the reddening appendage. He turned back to the crowd and gave an awkward smile. "So… where am I?" He asked as he shook his hand.

Everyone looked at him confused before the fox spoke up. "You don't know why you're here?" He asked curiously.

Cade looked at him with a deadpanned look. "If I knew where I was, would I really say it was a dream and punch the side of a plane?" He stated as he continued to rub his fist. "Now, again I ask, where am I and-"

"YO! Could you all keep it down out there!" A rough voice called from the plane. "I just took a trip to the john and I would like to have done it in peace!"

Cade turned his head and he looked to the entrance. "Sorry!" He apologized with a smile before he suddenly grew confused "Wait, what?"

The woman in the cowgirl get up stood beside him. "Aren't you supposed to be the only one arriving?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cade turned to her. "Yeah. It was just me, the pilot and…" His eyes widened before he slowly turned his head back to the entrance. "...Oh no." He whispered to himself. He just got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and he hoped that he was wrong on his next guess on what it was.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

Just a few seconds later, he saw a small animal, or to be precise, an anthropomorphic animal walk out with orange pants and it was shirtless!

But the biggest shock was that he was a raccoon!

With BLUE fur!

And only one name came to Cade's mind.

"R-RICHARD!?" He exclaimed as he pointed a shaky finger at him.

The raccoon looked up at him with a raise eyebrow. "Yeah. That's me... Who are you?"

"Wha... Howasit...?" Cade mumbled as he felt his brain melt into mush. Was his pet and best friend... An ANTHRO!?

"Dude, what are you lookin at?" Richard asked annoyed before he noticed his hand... Paw. "Wha?" He mumbled as he looked down to see he was standing on his two back-paws! "Buh!?" He then looked to see he was wearing..

**PANTS!**

"DA HELL!?" He screamed and he looked to see the human looking at him his jaw dropped. "Wait... Cade!? That you!?" He pointed at him in shock as his fur stood up on ends!

Cade continued to mumble incoherently as he rubbed his head, his mind runny at maximum power! Then the cheetah leaned next to him asked a simple question to the two.

"Is there something wrong, sirs?" He asked politely.

That was the straw that broke the camels back.

"Ohmangonnafaint..." Cade mumbled before he collapsed on his knees and hit the ground with a thud. Richard followed suit by falling on his back with a thud himself.

_'Sigh.'_ The cheetah sighed as the boy leaned on his tail and the woman carried the raccoon. This was unexpected.

It appears they had explain a lot of things to their guests when they woke up.

* * *

**_One hour later..._**

"Aaahhhggg." Cade groaned as he opened his eyes to see a dirty room. He saw a poster with the word 'smile' with a happy face on it. He then saw a man with blonde hair, a blue shirt and tie look at him with concern.

"You okay there, pal?" He asked with a little bit of worry.

"My mind felt like it was in a freaking rocking chair and my body felt like it was just hit by truck." He moaned as he sat up straight. "Other than that, I'm great." He smiled wearily at the man. "Where am I?"

"You're in the nurse's my friend!" The man answered politely as he walked around the table and pulled out a drawer.

"Oh thanks." Cade sighed as he rubbed his head. "You would not have believed what I have just been through today- what's that?" He asked quickly as the man pulled out a driller. Worry started to fill his body at the man's disturbing smile.

And he soon had good reason too!

"Willis said you needed a checkup!" He stated madly, his face contorting into a look of insanity as he grabbed a unicorn doll. "Willis is very smart you know!" He declared as he revved up the drill.

_'Oh my god! I just entered Outlast!' _Cade screamed within his mind! He quickly leapt off the table and ran for the door. "You'll never take my fingers!" He screamed as he opened the door...

To face the cheetah from before.

"Are you feeling better Mr. Daniels?" He asked with a lazy gaze while leaning forward to face Cade.

The human's eye twitched. "No... I gonna have a mini freak out now." He stated before he walked slowly to the wall of the room.

Then screamed.

**"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Cade stopped screaming as he felt his throat burn up. He coughed as he banged his chest and turned back to the cheetah.

"Are you finished?" He asked politely.

"Yeah." He panted as he straightened up. "I'm good. I'm good now." He reassured as scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Very well. Now, that you have calmed down, are ready to answer a few questions?" The cheetah asked calmly.

"Yeah. I am, just so long as you answer mine. Deal?" He asked as he held his hand out.

"Very well." The cheetah agreed and he shook the humans hand with his paw. As soon as he stopped, he gestured for the human to go first.

"Okay. Question number one: What's going on around here?" He asked as he looked around to see a few empty halls with only lockers occupying. It was like some sort of school.

"That will be easy to answer if you answer this one: were you not informed about this position?" He asked with a raised eyebrow in confusion.

"No, sorry. Question number two: What was I supposed to be informed about?" Cade asked with his arms outstretched as he gestured to the halls in exclamation.

"You were truly not informed about this place before being sent here?" The cheetah repeated with a shocked look on his face. He seemed to be honestly surprised.

Cade shook his head. "No. I really haven't been told very much about this place. They just told me about a vacant position here and I took it." He replied with honesty before he looked around again. "Speaking of which, where am I?"

The cheetah leaned back in surprise before he looked away with a little bit of worry. This was going to be hard to explain. "Follow me sir." He requested as he walked away.

Cade looked back over his shoulder and and winced when he noticed the man was asleep and hugging the doll. He felt that it was in his best interest to follow the cheetah.

And he did.

As he walked beside the cheetah, he looked around to see the walls were given a relay green color, along with the lockers. A few lights lit the way, giving him a little comfort.

"Hm. Nice place." He complimented quietly.

"Thank you." The cheetah responded with a slight smile. The two continued their way until they reached a brown door. The cheetah opened it with his tail before he walked in, Cade following him. "Have a seat, sir."

Cade complied and sat down in the armchair. He quickly noticed the desk next to him and he saw some kind of squid creature with a cup of tea and in a suit. It slurped as it passed one to Cade, who politely declined. "No thanks." He said nervously as the squid put the cup down.

"No need to fear. This is Principal Winston." The cheetah introduced with a smile. "He is quite harmless." He reassured the human, who in turn nodded with a smile.

Oh! Okay." Cade said as he looked at the principal who offered him the cup again. He smiled and took it with a thankful nod. He turned back to the cheetah and a smile as he took a sip. "Continue."

The cheetah nodded, thankful that the human was taking this well before he frowned. "Well Mr. Cade Daniels. I have some news for you." He began and he placed his front legs on the desk. "My name is Zechariah and I regret to inform you that there seems to have been some sort of mistake with the company that employed you. You were hired to be a Guidance Counselor, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, I was. But they never told what or where I was being sent to." Cade explained.

"Well, all humans employed or chosen to be sent here are given _very _strict details about this world, and it is their choice to be transferred." He explained before he narrowed his eyes. "Whoever sent you, did an incredibly dishonest thing. For once here, you cannot return to the outside world you once knew."

Cade felt his heart sank as he listened to Zechariah explain his situation. Was he serious? He couldn't return home? He may not have had many friends back home and no more family, but it was still a huge hit to him.

Then, he felt something stir in the back of his mind. "Wait, there's no way of going back? No exit, not return pass or anything like that?" He asked suspiciously as he leaned forward.

Zechariah raised an eyebrow at the boy's question. He seemed to be very specific about it. "There are none i'm afraid." He said firmly.

Cade leaned back as he narrowed his eyes in thought. If that was true, then why did that man give him that strange ticket? Was it some sort of joke?

"Is something wrong sir?" Zechariah asked with concern as he leaned forward.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." Cade responded immediately. He then grew a curious look on his face as he sat up straight. "So basically, I'm now stuck here in this world with talking animals?" He asked before he held his hands up. "No offence." He said quickly.

"None taken and I'm afraid so." Zechariah responded with regret before adding. "Also, this is an interspecies society. There are many different creatures. Not just 'animals.'

Cade raised an eyebrow before he smiled. "Really? Like hybrids? Centaurs and vampires?" He asked.

Zechariah nodded. "Yes."

"Mermaids, demons, ghosts, zombies and shapeshifters?" Cade prodded as his smile grew bigger and bigger.

"Yes."

"ALIENS!?" Cade nearly shouted in excitement as he leaned forward.

"Aliens do not exist Mr. Daniels." Zechariah responded with a little humor in his voice.

"Damnit!" The human cursed as he sat back down, his mood a little sullen. He suddenly brightened up and he looked around the room. "By the way, where am I right now?" He asked.

"This is the Zoo-Phoenix Academy. This is where you were employed so we brought you here." Zechariah informed as he leaned forward on his chair and smiled. "Would you like a tour?" He asked politely.

Cade turned and nodded with a smile. "Sure thing."

Zechariah smiled at his enthusiasm before he raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be taking this remarkably well. I would have thought you be more fearful of your surroundings." He pointed out.

Cade leaned back and folded his arms. "You know, I would probably scream in fear because of all of this, but I have watched so many movies, games and Anime. So I'm pretty much okay with this." He said offhandedly.

Zechariah chuckled in amusement before he brought his tail close to his mouth and spoke in some sort of device. "Jackie. Can you come to my office please." He requested politely.

_**"Absolutely!"**_ A females voice responded with joy.

"Whose Jackie?" Cade asked with a raised eyebrow.

_**'Slam!'**_

"Hey, Hey, HEY!" A voice sung throughout the office. Cade turned and saw a woman with tanned skin, blue hair with green and yellow tips on her bangs. She wore a blue dress with yellow rims and yellow high-heeled shoes. She also seemed to radiate a very cheerful demeanour.

She ran up to Cade and shook his hand. "Well hello, hello! I'm Jackie! Drama instructor." She introduced with a wide smile. "So you are the new guy everyone's talking about? What's your name?"

Cade stepped back with a smile of his own. This woman's attitude seemed to have infected him a bit. "Cade. Cade Daniels." He introduced.

"Oh! So your Cade!?" She gasped with a smile. "Your friend has told me quite a bit about you!"

"My friend?" Cade repeated.

"She means me."

Cade looked to the door and his eyes widened. "Richard?!" He exclaimed once again as he saw the raccoon walk in.

"Yep! Same fur, same name, different look." The raccoon replied as he stood next to his owner. "Don't ask me how I got like this because I don't know either." He informed as he looked at his body.

"Whoa. So it wasn't a dream." Cade muttered with awe before he smiled. "I have to say, you look pretty good. Quite the eye-catcher for a few ladies if you tried." He joked.

"Hey, I've always been chick-magnet!" Richard smirked as he shrugged. "You've just never seen me do my moves on them."

"Ha! Really?" Cade laughed as he gave him a noogie. "Ah man! It's good that you're safe man!"

"Yeah. Jackies been helping me with all this crazy stuff! Told me everything too." Richard gestured the woman who smiled at the acknowledgment.

"Excuse me." Zechariah interrupted. "Sorry for ruling your reunion, but we must get back to the matter at hand." He reminded them before he turned to the woman. "These two are in need of a tour Jackie."

"Not another word Zech! I got this!" She waved a hand before she slung her arms around the two. "Come on boys! Tour starts now!" She announced with joy.

Cade and Richard just let out small helps as the woman grabbed them and dragged them out of the office and into their new jobs and their first steps to their new lives.

What had they just gotten themselves into?

* * *

**...**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed that!**

**Next chapter, Cade and Richard are given a tour of the Academy and they meet a group of students whom they'll grow attached to.**

**As always, remember to read and review please!**

**This is Wielder of the Blue Flames, signing off!**


	3. Academy Tour

**Here it is! The next chapter like I promised! Sorry it took so long!**

**Disclaimer: Zoophobia belongs to VivzMind! I only own Cade and Richard! Nothing more!**

**Now with that out of the way, let's continue!**

* * *

**Academy Tour!**

* * *

Cade looked around as Jackie led both him and Richard around the main halls of the academy. He hadn't even been to one of the classrooms yet and already he was amazed by the size and how colorful it was.

'_Can't wait to see what the students are like.' _He thought to himself with a smile, before Jackie spoke to him.

"I really think your going to love working here Cade!" She said happily, her arm still slung around his shoulder as she gestured to the huge room they were in. "This is the main lobby. All the subject wings branch off from here."

"Nice." He complimented as he looked around. He spotted a wall with a built in aquarium near the stairs and looked it over. "You guys really know how to be creative here."

"Thank you! We try our best to inspire our students here." Jackie smiled at the humans compliment.

"Well I say you guys got that part licked!" Richard quipped, crouched on Cade's shoulder and watching the fish move inside. "This place is a whole menagerie of inspiration! This is something like you would see in a dream!"

"You guys haven't even seen the best parts here yet! Follow me!" She gestured for them to follow her, walking down one of the many halls. "I'll show you my wing first."

Cade nodded, taking his eyes off the aquarium and getting back to the tour. Richard still held on to his shoulder while looking back to see two students on the upper floor staring at them, lounging about. He narrowed his eyes before shaking his head.

"This is the 'Arts' wing!" Jackie said proudly as she gestured to the hall itself.

"Really? I didn't notice." Cade joked with a smile

"Yeah. It really doesn't look the part." Richard chipped in with a smirk.

"Oh, a couple jokers aren't you two!" Jackie laughed with playful, mischievous eyes. "I think you're going to fit right in here!"

The two smiled with Cade rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and Richard flashing a thumbs up.

"Any way, I want to introduce you to someone." She continued as she opened a nearby door, walking in with a huge smile. "Baby! Got someone for you to meet!" She called as Cade walked in.

"Okay girls! Once you're warmed up- JACKIE!" A man with tanned skin, red hair with a white tip at the end with a trace of blue on the back greeted with a cheerful tone. He had yellow eyes and a gold tooth. He wore a red shirt with blue stripes and a coloured polka dot bow-tie. He also wore dark-blue pants and black dance shoes. But what nearly stood out of the rest was the pink tutu he wore.

"Well… someone's very… 'spirited' here." Cade commented with a raised eyebrow while Richard snickered, trying his hardest not to laugh.

Then, to their surprise, Jackie and the man embraced each other into a loving hug. They both smiled warmly as they held eachother close. Cade and Richard looked at one another, not knowing what to say.

Then, the man stopped his hug and walked over to Cade, grabbing and shaking his hand with a friendly grin. "Salutations Senior! Name?"

"Cade. Cade Daniels. Nice to meet you sir." He greeted with a smile before he gestured to the raccoon on his shoulder. "And this is my friend, Richard."

"Yo." Richard gave a peace sign to the man.

"Soopitity-doopity to meetcha! My name is Alanzo, but call me Al! It's shorter!" The man introduced eccentrically as the girls he was teaching walked over a little, curious.

"Heheh! Alright then Al." Cade grinned back. This man's personality was just like Jackie's and it was infectious as well. "So, let me guess, your subject is-?" He trailed off, letting Al finish for him.

"Dance!" Al answered with smile, giving a bashful look.

"Should have figured." Richard smirked.

"Well hunny, we gotta run! Got a lot of school to show!" Jackie reminded the two as she pushed them out, but not before giving Al a quick peck on the cheek, inciting an 'Aw' from the tanned skinned, red-haired girl.

"You do yer thang girl!" Al responded with a snap of his fingers as they walked out and he got back to teaching.

Outside, Cade looked between the door and Jackie before he asked. "So, was that your boyfriend?"

"Close! That was my husband!" She corrected joyfully. "We both work in this wing!"

"Well thats good. You two aren't that far apart in your jobs." Cade said with a smile.

"And able to spend time during teaching hours I'm sure." Richard added with a smirk of his own.

"Oh stop it you two." Jackie playfully hit Cade's shoulder as they shared a small laugh. "Now then, let me show you the best of what this wing has to offer!" She walked over to a set of doors and began to open them in order.

"Here is the Art room!"

Cade peeked inside to see a female naga, who seemed to be of indian origin, checking over a boy's artwork, who had a green tail sticking out of his back. The red colored room held all sorts of artworks, very inspiring ones and a few other students working on other projects.

"The Music room!"

Jackie then showed them a nice blue colored room with many great instruments. Cade and Richard looked in to see a black porcupine playing a bass like a violin, making great sounds. They also watched an alligator with a tuba talking with a fox-like creature who held a saxophone, both giving approving nods to each other's work.

"The Film room!"

The next door opened to show Cade and Richard, to their shock, two guys, a wolf and some other creature were by a green screen whilst being blow by a giant fan! The wolf held onto a fire hydrant while grinning as three others were by a laptop, hurriedly trying to stop the catastrophe.

"Dude, would you hurry up!" A feline creature urged in panic. "If one more hole is made in that wall, it's coming out of our pockets!"

"I'm trying!" A boy with tanned skin, glasses and yellow eyes and white/grey hair typed into the laptop quickly. He was sweating in panic. "But the commands are mixed! I need a little more time!"

"Ah geez!" A grey wolf wearing a fedora hat turned to the other, possibly his brother, and shouted to him. "Hang on there Vinny! Just a little longer and we'll have you down!"

"That's fine by me Lenny!" The wolf, Vinny, called back with a grin. "This is gonna be great for the project! I'm having the time of my life here!"

Cade and Richard watched on before the human slowly closed the door. "Okay… animals using a giant fan for filming… thats a thing." He mumbled to himself before he turned to Jackie. "How did they get a fan for that?"

"Guess they got a bigger budget!" She shrugged with a smile as she walked towards the final door.

"Why? I didn't know students could get a huge budget for that sort of thing." Richard wondered with wide eyes.

"Well, their last film did almost win at the Film Festival." She commented with a hum before she opened two double doors and walked in with her arms outstretched proudly. "And here is my domain!"

"Nice." Cade complimented again before he looked down from the many aisles of seats and saw, onstage was a group of teenagers. "Are those your students?" He asked, pointing at the stage.

"Yep! There my little prodigies." She said the last part with her voice a little choked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Here." Richard quickly passed her a tissue.

"Thank you." She smiled as she wiped her eyes from any loose tears.

'_Wow… she really loves her class… that's actually very sweet.' _Cade thought with a smile when he suddenly felt a weight on in his arms. "Wha-what the?" He looked down to see a small orange fox with white tips on his hands, feet, tail and ears, in a bundle in his arms. His baby blue eyes stared at Cade for a few seconds before he promptly…

'_**SLURP!'**_

"GAH!" Cade quickly brought an arm to his face and wiped his left cheek as the fox bounded back down to the stage with a grin, his tongue sticking out. "Not cool kid! Not cool!"

Richard watched on with a dumbfounded look on his face. "...When did that kid get in your arms?" He asked, mostly to himself.

"I don't know!" Cade continued to wipe the side of his face before he gave a low growl. "But that kid better not try it a second time!"

Jackie, either oblivious or ignoring the matter, walked down the steps before she was within hearing range for the students. "Good afternoon my Sparkling Turtledoves!" She greeted with a sing-song tone as they all turned to her.

"Hey Jackie!" They all responded with little singing tones of their own.

Cade was amazed how enthusiastic they all sounded. Nothing like the students from the school he used to go to. _'Heh. Wish my class had this much school spirit to spare. It would certainly liven things up.' _

"So, who's your friend Cracker Jacks?" A creature with yellow skin with purple highlights on his hands and feet, two antenna with purple highlights on the tips and purples eyes and a snake head tail asked as he won and arm wrestle with a boy with strangely styled hair and red eyes. He spoke with a small hint of spanish in his voice.

"This here is your new Guidance Counselor fellas! And this here is his friend!" She introduced the two with an arm sided hug, who gave small waves of their own.

"Oh good!" A dog/jackal gave a huge sigh of relief as he stroked his arm, his fur ruffled with scratch marks on him. In other words, he looked like he had seen better days, the poor kid.

"Oh good!" A red furred jackal responded with same tone. He only wore a black shirt with red on the edges of it. He had black eyes with only red as his iris. Something seemed… off about this kid… something strange. "I could use a lot of 'guidance'." He joked to the brown furred jackal with a smirk.

Cade just gave him a look of suspicion before walking over to the chimera like creature. "Hello. My name is Cade Daniels and this is my friend, Richard." He introduced, gesturing to himself and the raccoon. He then held his hand out for him to take. "It's good to meet you."

The chimera smiled before he shook the hand with his own. "Zillion Martinez. But I usually go by Zill."

"I'll keep that in mind." Cade smirked in return before he rose an eyebrow. "I hope you don't find me rude for asking this… but WHAT are you? I'm not sure if I know what species you are."

"Well, I-" Zill started before he looked back to see the brown jackal snicker, giving a look before returning back. "Pass."

Cade nodded in understanding before he felt something bump into his back. He turned around to see a girl with messy red hair sniffing him, wearing a purple sweater with a cat face knitted on it. She leaned forward, sniffed him again before hissing at him like a cat.

"Ooooookkkkaaaaaayyyyyyyy." He winced as he backed away from the girl, with Richard narrowing his eyes at her. He noticed a red hue near him and turned to see the red jackal float near him.

"You really got your work cut out for you guys." He commented to the two, who looked at each other with quizzical looks. "Jus' sayin'." He shrugged with a smile.

"Uh, right." Cade just nodded slowly, unable to comprehend what he was seeing right now. Which to him in his own mind was weird enough seeing as he just got here and it took a floating child to freak him out.

Richard however, seemed to still be able to form words as he asked. "Uh, kid... How are you floating like that?"

The jackal just smiled as he pointed to himself. "Oh well, it's because-" He started before he grew a red aura and pulled out a flashlight, shining it under his face as his eyes turned into evil swirls! "**I'M THE ANTI-CHRIST!" **He yelled demonically into their faces.

Cade just looked at him, eyes wide and slightly shaking. "... Okay." He merely answered, his voice cracking a bit.

"There's a little pee coming out of me right now." Richard whimpered in shame as he quickly jumped off of his owner's shoulder.

Jackie didn't look amused at the jackals prank. "Rude!" She scolded with folded arms, giving a disappointed expression, making the boy wince.

"Damian, cut it out!" The dog/jackal complained, sounding very irritated.

_'Damian?' _Cade thought to himself, throwing a quizzical look at the jackal. _'Huh. Pretty obvious name but at the same time, not really... Kinda fits.' _

"Sorry!" Damian apologised as he floated back near a female kangaroo with crystal blue eyes, who sat on the stage. "I was just introducing myself!" He defended himself as he gave an innocent to the kangaroo who instantly shivered in shock. "Come on, back me up here Kayla, my darling angel!"

The girl, Kayla, just gulped before she zipped away from him with a squeak of fear and went next to Zill, holding onto him. Damian just groaned, slumping his shoulders like it was a regular thing for him.

Cade just chuckled when he noticed the other jackal walk up to him nervously and shook his hand. "I'm really sorry about my cousin!" He apologised quickly before he gave a nervous smile. "Hello. My name is Jack and I would like to schedule with you as soon as possible."

Cade smiled at the boys polite attitude and nodded. "Sure thing kid." He then gave a wince when he took a closer look at his fur. "Um, are you okay?"

Jack let go and smiled uneasily. "Sorry. It's been awhile since I had someone talk to me about my problems-"

"LOOK OUT!"

The shout of alarm came from Richard before he tackled Jack to ground, a second before a stagelight smashed to the ground, shocking Cade before he ran up to his friend. "Dude, you okay!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The raccoon waved off before turning to Jack. "But I'm more concerned about you pal! That could have killed you if I hadn't pushed you!" He exclaimed with emphasis on killed.

Jack looked shocked before he shook his head. "T-thanks. And, you don't need to worry about me." He waved off slightly making the two look at eachother in both shock and confusment.

"Yeah, that happens a lot around him." Zill added as Kayla helped him back up from the ground. "But hey, that was the first time someone other than us helped him out! You just risked your skin for my buddy!"

Richard rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I can't just let some kid get hurt! That's never a good thing to happen!" He affirmed before crawling back to his friends shoulder.

"We know, but most people wouldn't do something like that for him at the risk of their own lives!" Kayla added while giving the two a grateful smile. "Thank you!"

"Hey Jackie! Another light fell!" The boy that arm-wrestled with Zill pointed at the smashed light, getting her attention.

"I saw it!" She called out before walking over, a look of concern on her face. "Are you okay Jack? Nothing broken?"

Jack smiled and nodded. "Don't worry Jackie. I'm fine." He then gestured to the two newcomers. "I have these guys to thank for the save."

Jackie smiled before she gave the two a hug. "Not 24 hours here and already you're helping others! You two are going to fit in here perfectly!" Making the two smile, she then walked to the stage and gestured to it and the class. "So Cade. Richie. Do you two wanna stick around for the class?"

Cade and Richard looked at one another before they nodded and looked back. "Well, we'd love too but…"

"...We're kinda a little tired for today." Richard finished, before yawning, emphasising his point.

"Understandable huns!" Jackie shrugged before calling to the purple cat who was reading a book. "Vanexa, would you mind escorting the boys to Cade's office?"

The cat merely gave a small, subtle nod before getting off the stage and walked passed the two, not even bothering to speak to them. The two gave uneasy looks before following her, hearing Jackie call out to the rest of her students.

It only took about two minutes to reach the office, the sign up above saying 'Guidance' over the door. Cade grabbed the handle and turned to the cat with a smile. "Thanks for the help, Vanexa was it?"

She just gave a blank look to them. Her yellow eyes bore into their very souls, unnerving them.

"Oooooookkaaaaaayyyy… your creepy y'know that?" Richard stated.

'_**BONK!'**_

"OW!"

"Dude! Not cool!" Cade reprimanded him with a glare before turning back. "Sorry about him. He's just getting used to being anthro."

Vanexa just gave a single nod.

"...Okay, good evening." He waved before he entered the room.

"_Enjoy your stay."_

Cade's and Richard's eyes widened before they turned back to see Vanexa leaving, reading her book.

Cade quickly shut the door, shaking his head from all the confusion he endured from today. "Okay… this was… an experience." He muttered. "What do you think Richard?... Richard?" He turned his head to see the raccoon sleeping on a chair. "...Really man? Already?" He shook his head before he walked towards the desk to see a strange gift basket. He slowly picked up the note attached to it and red it out loud. "Dear Cade: Welcome to the family! Love, Z.P. Staff."

"How are you coping with things thus far Cade?"

"HOLY CRAPBASKETS!" The man screamed in surprise and turned around to see Zechariah behind him, sitting near a corner. He panted as he placed a hand over his chest. "Geez! Do not do that! I almost had a freaking heart attack!"

The cheetah gave a sympathetic look before he bowed his head slightly. "My apologies."

"...Meh, it's okay." The boy sighed before he gave a small smile. "And to answer your question: Yeah. I'd say I've enjoyed this day." He answered honestly, getting a somewhat surprised look from the Vice-Principal.

"Hm. I'm glad to hear that. I assure you that the rest of this place will need more time getting used to." Zechariah pointed out, getting a nod from the boy before he spotted Richard napping. "It appears the day's events have caught up to at least one of you."

"Yeah. The little guy gets tuckered out easily." He quipped with a laugh before sighing. "Admittedly, I'm glad he's an anthro now… He's about the only guy I consider family now since… Y'know."

Zechariah just nodded. "I've read the records that were sent… I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." Cade gave a weak smile before leaning on the desk. The two just stayed in silence before Zech smiled.

"If you're interested, there is something I would like to show you. I believe you may like it yourself."

"Hm?" Cade let out a hum before the cheetah left, prompting him to follow him to a flight of stairs.

"This way. The rooftop." Zechariah continued before he walked up the stairs, the human following.

After a few more flights, finally reaching the top, Cade walked out the door to the railing of the building. "So… what's up here anywa- Whoa!"

He was soon rendered speechless when he looked up to the sky, bright lights shining down on both him and Zechariah, the latter smiling knowingly.

There, up in the sky, were flying white and yellow, transparent fish, yellow sparkles shining off them, giving off a beautiful aura around them.

It was truly… magnificent.

"My god… It's amazing." Cade whispered as he leaned on the railing.

Zechariah smiled before he sat beside him, his tail on the boys shoulder and giving him a warm smile. "Welcome home Mr. Cade."

The human in turn smiled. "Thanks… it's good to be home... And just call me Cade." He said as they turned back to enjoy the scene.

"..."

"..."

".."

"..Question?"

"Yes?"

"...Where am I going to live anyway?"

* * *

**Well, our two newcomers have taken a first taste of their new career choice and believe me there will be more!**

**Next time, the real interesting stuff begins! After a brief stint with the mail guy, Cade and Richard are asked to be judges for the upcoming Talent Show tryouts! But that's not all: Love is in the air for Zill and Kayla as their three year anniversary is coming up... If only Zill could remember!**

**Next time: Tryouts and anniversaries!**

**Until then Guys and Gals, This is The Wielder Of The Blue Flames, signing off!**


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